Au Revoir Les Enfants

After last week’s killing of three children and a rabbi at a Jewish school in Toulouse, early reports suggested that the murderer was a white, right-wing racist who was targeting minorities. Indeed, one could be excused for getting the impression, from those first accounts, that the authorities and the media wanted him to be a white, right-wing racist – a lone maniac like the guy who mowed down dozens of teenagers in Norway last July. Yet the Toulouse terrorist turned out, like so many perpetrators of unspeakable European atrocities in recent years, to be an Islamic jihadist – a self-declared Mujahideen and member of al-Qaeda who said he was out to avenge the deaths of Palestinian children and the military involvement of France in the Islamic world, and who, if a van had not blocked the path of his scooter, might have succeeded in executing as many young people as Anders Behring Breivik did on the island of Utøya.

If at first many highly placed Frenchmen were eager to attribute the Toulouse murders to right-wing racism, the revelation of Mohamed Merah’s identity initiated a rush to dismiss the relevance of the killer’s religion and his openly expressed motivations and associations. Nicolas Sarkozy, who was quick tomeet with Jewish and Muslim leaders at the Elysée Palace, was equally quick to tell the French people that “our Muslim counterparts have nothing to do with the crazy motivations of a terrorist.” Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Grand Mosque in Paris, declared that “what happened in Toulouse…had nothing to do with Islam.” And in Le Monde, Jean-Yves Camus, an “expert” on radical Islam and the extreme right, insisted that in determining the root cause of the murders, “the impact of the re-Islamization of French Muslims by the conservative currents, that is to say fundamentalists, is less important than the unleashing of a radical anti-Zionism that has gone too far and that does not emanate from our own Muslim compatriots, far from it.”

It is certainly true that “radical anti-Zionism” – not to mention vicious anti-Semitism – is on the rise throughout Western Europe. But it is also true that before the current wave of Jew-hate really took off, a deep-seated antagonism for Jews was already endemic among Muslims in France.

People across France were supposedly shocked at the massacre, shocked to discover that Jewish schoolchildren in their own country could be murdered in such a fashion. I don’t know what to make of those declarations of shock. The fact is that Jewish schoolchildren in France have been in danger for years, and anyone who cares anything about the subject has known this for years.

Bruce Bawer is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center and the author of “While Europe Slept” and “Surrender.” His book "The Victims' Revolution: The Rise of Identity Studies and the Closing of the Liberal Mind" is just out from Broadside / Harper Collins.

Marty

My guess is that the situation for French Jews will continue to deteriorate. France itself is gradually becoming another dysfunctional middle eastern country. Just as Jews were driven out of Arab countries during 1948-1952 so they will be forced to leave France. Muslims will then focus on the secular and Christian communities and continue to apply sharia law in increasingly egregious ways and import their cousins from north Africa to marry and breed. All of this can only spell doom for European civilization.

PersonOfTheBook

The elites of the affluent and neurotic West, terrified, stick their heads in the sand and deny that there is a problem, instead their deluded focus is their perception of the Christians and non-lefties. The few brave souls who put their life on the line to speak out against this outrage end up outed from their careers, in court, or dead.

Lefties in the West are living in some fantasy bubble as outdated as the hippie era of the 60s. These New Quislings, the self-hating left, are aligned with the Islamists and will be their final victims.

We must elect leaders such as Canada's PM Stephen Harper – a great example for civilized countries. He is the only Western PM to speak the truth and articulate what our biggest threat is: Islamism. He also is one of a very few who is unafraid, despite much hatred from Canada's own fifth column, to stand in support of the only Middle East democracy: Israel.

Defense of civilization, and support of Israel – this kind of talk in Canada makes the lefties' heads explode. The New Quislings are cheering on the advance of Sharia Law – the ultimate intolerant system – insanely in the name of "tolerance".

The permanent historical record will not be kind to them. Worse, our society will regress into civil war at best, a new dark age at worst. And this is our legacy for our next generations.

scotsirish

You have to wonder if the Post American President will allow them entry into the United States as he does the Muslim masses.

Dispozadaburka

Obama used 20 million dollars of our tax money to bring thousands of Palestinians to the US because he said they were victims of Israel.

He also surrendered our country to Islam when held the MuslimDay of Prayer in September 2009.
This freemasonic act "determines the future destiny of America."
Remember they prayed for the "SOUL" of America.

If you don't think that it is happening here. Think again.

Schlomotion

It is evident that the Toulouse shooting story is now passing out of the range of goldfish memory. Mr. Bawer appears to be tugboating the dead horse for an additional flogging. He admits that Muslim clerics from French mosques have even denounced this shooting in triplicate. If you contrast this with the Greenfield article about Trayvon Martin, you can see the differential equation of comparative outrage in full force. We are all supposed to forget about Trayvon Martin and shut up about anti-Black racism, but we are supposed to continue to be outraged about a murder overseas and attribute it to a rising tide of anti-Jewish racism. Pardon me for viewing all these lives as equal, and not freaking out anymore about these deaths beyond the scope of what is appropriate.

And no, foolish childishness cannot sensibly be pardoned for viewing all lives as equal, for, as the poet left for us: "It is fitting that, animals be prey to man, lest man be prey to them.". Those who picture themselves—and, in every way possible show themselves as—in denial of the higher characteristic in man, have picked a lower estate in existence, . . . even as the backward and barbarous nations always have been, and yet are to be ruled by those which are superior. And, there's not much which you or I can do to alter that, state of affairs

And no, . . . given the Moslem propensity for prevarication, any statement made by a Moslem cleric is to suffer hard entertainment. And as another of our poets left for us: "Methinks, he doth too strenuously protest.", by heightened emphasis in the fact of logic in use of language such open scrutiny is made more sure by, as you say, denouncement made in triplicate.

And to the experienced eye, in the nature of things, as to just why the learned "Schlomotion" might have failed to have apprehended this last simple fact of human interchange, is plain, . . .

Schlomotion

I do not believe that being a Hip Hop aficionado is enough of a thought crime to warrant one's execution. I have read and considered your homage to Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau on the basic inequality of human beings. There is always something that an individual can do to alter states of affairs.

PhillipGaley

While, whether Tryvon was a Hip Hop aficionado or no, I have no basis for assessment, I do believe the report which says that, Tryvon had to be put on disciplinary suspension from school for an assault, and as his brother returned in a tweet: "ya ain't tellin me ya swung on a bus driver", and I do accept as faithful, the web replication of the preferences and form of address to the world, which in the scurrilous self-photo are plainly and purposely revealed.

And yes, "always, there are things which any individual can do to effect changes to his circumstances of existence", and as appears, Tryvon Martin chose the wrong path and was in a hurry to get further down it—mercifully, the nation was spared the results of such a prospective violent life of criminal intent, . . .

Further, in the face of grave evidence of chosen personality and conduct and consequential behavior—and, which led to senseless death—people of whole mind do recognize your de minimus and misleading characterization of such a one as a mere "Hip Hop aficionado" for what it actually is, . . .

Before Comte, the poet Alexander Pope drew from millennia of frozen centuries of time past of thoughts of the wise, . . .

Schlomotion

I do not pretend to know all of his motivations, nor do I vouch for his character. However, he is dead by another man's hand, and it still remains to be seen if he was the innocent victim of vigilantism, or a boy who picked a fistfight with a man with a gun. In any event, it is too early to snicker and presume that the world was saved from a future criminal.

Annika

BTW Schlomotion; Qu’est-ce que tu dis comme imbecilites! There has been several demonstration pro-Mohamed Merah in France since the killing spree (Merah is the perpetrator of those murders). One such demonstration was in Toulouse… and yet… in the land of Voltaire, French natives don’t have the right to demonstrate against islam…
Any objective and informed French person can tell you that Bruce Bawer is so entirely correct in what he says about the situation in France; yet his statement wouldn’t be publicized in France, because the French no longer have Freedom of Speech (look up Eric Zemmour, French journalist charged in court of law for words he said).

Annika

I am a native French who ran away to America at the age of 20, and can tell you that Anti-Semitism has always been part of France; yet it is the muslim element in the population that has rendered it unbearable. Unbearable is the right word, French Jews are running away (or wanting to run away) from France in droves to live in Israel or the United States. My Jewish Parisian friends hide their yamakas under hats when they walk streets and Metro, their Megan David are always tucked under shirts. The rules are – do not display signs of Judaism in public, watch your back at all times, always give your children a French first name – it will allow you to blend in. The Jews that are not orthodox are tolerated because they Jewry isn’t “in your face” (laicite oblige). And – NO- the horror in Toulouse is not isolated, in 2006 a 19 year old Jewish young man by the name of Ilan Halimi was murdered by a group of muslims in France; he died after three weeks of torture at the hands of his tormentors.

kentatwater

Annika, thank you for the account of your first-hand experiences.

Please understand that Schlomotion's purpose here is not to debate in earnest. Its raison d'être is to contradict the thesis of any article posted here on FPM. This is not to say it doesn't have a motive, beyond this surface behavior. It is clearly an anti-Semite. It counts on the logical contortions, equivocations, and biased citations to drive people to anger, and to respond hostility. It seeks to provoke.

You are to be commended for your reasoned and calm response, especially in light of your personal experiences.

kentatwater

Annika, thank you for the account of your first-hand experiences.

Please understand that Schlomotion's purpose here is not to debate in earnest. Its raison d'être is to contradict the thesis of any article posted here on FPM. This is not to say it doesn't have a motive, beyond this surface behavior. It is clearly an anti-Semite. It counts on logical contortions, equivocations, and biased citations to drive people to anger, and to respond hostility. It seeks to provoke.

You are to be commended for your reasoned and calm response, especially in light of what you have lived through.

ebonystone

"… Jewish schoolchildren in France have been in danger for years,"

And not just schoolchildren. The last time I was in Paris, in 2007, I remember going out to dinner one evening and taking a short-cut down a short (only one block long) perdestrian-only side street. There were two armed cops at the entrance to the street, and after I turned into the street I could see two more at the other end. It was all rather ominous, and I wondered what was going on. Then I noticed that there was an unusual number of other pedestrians walking with me, all soberly dressed, the men in dark suits, most of them bearded and with broad-brimmed hats, and carrying a book. That tipped me off, and in the middle of the block, confirming my guess, was a synagogue. They were conservative or orthodox Jews going to an evening service. What a situation, I thought: In one of the great capitals of the modern West, religious services had to be protected by armed guards.

Western Spirit

We won't be able to get Europe's arse out of the fire this time, because our own arse is in trouble by the same source, the threat we face is simply immigrating among us. Once they are established with numbers to back them up all hell will break out to make Sharia law rule, peacefully or by terrorism, or both.

The God of the West has been kicked out of the public square, by a lie, and since nature abhors a void, and since man needs a God, guess what God will replace the void left by the western God? Why the barbaric Allah of course, and the Jew, the gentle Jesus, will be thrown into the sea along with the rest of his people as the God that guarantees our freedom is replaced by a totalitarian Nazi named Allah.

Bravo!Mr Brawer,I see that you know very well the situation in France.I also confirm what Annika is saying.I left the country for Israel several years ago and I could give a lot of exemples about antisemitism not only from the muslim students but also from their non muslim teachers…Decline and fall …

Annika

Hard to believe but what you say of Professors speaking in Anti-Semitic terms – IS TRUE. Of course Anti-Semitism is not politically correct – but anti-Zionism… is just fine! Therefore the French and their muslim brothers have an outlet to spill their bile using a modified version of the same thing – Anti-Jews all of it – but it hides “sous un manteau de velours”. French Press no longer reports of most anti-Semitic assaults ("If a Jew falls in the forest and no-one hears it does it make any noise?"), just as it no longer compiles the total number of cars burnt (by muslim hoodlums) in French streets. There were 40,000 cars burnt in 2010; what was it last year? no-one but government knows… France has become a "closed" society that forbids such reporting.
I am not even Jewish and this bothers me to no end. Now that France is gone, I'm happy you found safety in Israel.

Myriam Israel

Thanks, Annika,and a great Shalom from Israel. Myriam.

Ghostwriter

Gee,and many Muslims continue to wonder why many Americans have little respect for their religion? All they have to do is look at the latest incident in France to tell them why.

Marie Blanc Reeves

I am French now living in Sydney, Australia. I will never go back to my beloved France again. The last time I went back, I was harassed and insulted by a group of Muslim men for wearing a bikini while sun bathing. They were quite threatening that I left and went to the police station. The police advised me it was safer not to pursue the matter because the Muslims could make my life very difficult. I was shocked that my country had changed so much. I am very sad when I think of France, and I am very reluctant to go back even for a visit. France has changed so much.it was no longer the country I left 15 years ago.

ObamaYoMoma

As institutionally blinded by PC multiculturalism and a white washed fantasy based version of Islam our political elites on both sides of the political divide in America are today, I wonder how much longer Jewish children will be able to attend schools in America?

Julie Vayssié

My dad is French and recently went back to live in his home town in Marseille and told me that when he was walking in the street to go to the Market he was surprised ti see how many Muslims had stopped walking and were lined up to eachother and started praying (it was around noon) even non Muslims were praying! I tell u no one sees it but the Muslims goal is to take over the world and thats what their slowly doing to France.

bob maram

to put a political spin on the definition of negative hallucination by paul valery ……… liberalsbelieve that conservatives see enemies that are not really there while conservatives believe that liberals do not see enemies that are really there. bob maram

freedemocracy

Racist Arab-Islamic Mohamed merah – product of Arab-racism, a branch of the ugly cult of fake-victims, also known as fakestinians, the [grandchildren of Arab immigrants]. Those palestinian-Arab aggressors (since 1929 massacre in Hebron), who use their civilian population to cause their deaths in order to defame israel…

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You could definitely see your enthusiasm within the paintings you write. The sector hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to mention how they believe. At all times follow your heart.